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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24979996">Five</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/idkimtired/pseuds/idkimtired'>idkimtired</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>counting princes [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>All For The Game - Nora Sakavic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(Ish) - Freeform, Assassins AU, F/M, breaking into a castle, just something short i couldnt get out of my head</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:41:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,138</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24979996</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/idkimtired/pseuds/idkimtired</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan keeps a confident face on as she straightens her shoulders and smoothes out her stolen uniform. </p>
<p>“Listen,” she says, “I will personally beat each of you senseless if you mess this up.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Matt Boyd/Danielle "Dan" Wilds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>counting princes [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808140</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dan keeps a confident face on as she straightens her shoulders and smoothes out her stolen uniform. </p>
<p>“Listen,” she says, “I will personally beat each of you senseless if you mess this up.” Andrew, of course, doesn't react, probably doesn't even listen, staring emotionless up at the castle before them, his blond hair a sharp contrast to the black clothes that blend him into the night. Jeremy just nods absentmindedly, fingers running over his knife as he switches between looking up at the castle and down at his feet. Thea scowls and looks away, her black hood already up, hiding her face. Dan sighs but Renee nudges her with a smile.</p>
<p>“We’re gonna be alright,” she says lightly, one finger tapping the cross at her throat. Dan wonders if she believes her god can or even will save her after what they're about to do. Wishing she had Renee’s faith in anything, Dan nods.</p>
<p>“You will,” she agrees, “We all will. Just - remember, stick to the plan. Stick to the times. We’re going straight to Aaron afterwards but try not get injured anyway.” At this Andrew gives her a look. They know, they all know this, helped plan this, she knows but she still hates it. Hates how hopeless she feels sending them all off into the ominous black castle full of guards and prince. They will all be fine. They have to be. By the end of the night there will only one of the five princes left. She refuses anything else.</p>
<p>“It's Matt,” says Jeremy quietly, leaning forward past the trees to see beyond. Dan pushes him out of the way to look and to get him out of sight once more in case it isn't. A tall guard in full uniform strides across the lawns towards them. For a second she isn't sure, breath hitching painfully, but then the clouds clear allowing some moonlight to spill onto him. Matt. She forces the involuntary grin at seeing him off her face and steps back to let him join them in their makeshift hiding place under the trees at the castle ground wall. Finding a guard willing to betray the royal family had been tough, they couldn't exactly just go asking around, but Matt had been the one to come to them by his own accord and inexplicably, Dan trusted him. </p>
<p>“Nicky says go.” The words fill Dan with an anxious adrenaline but she just draws herself to her full height with a nod. </p>
<p>“Well then, let's go.” She turns to her companions, resisting the want to hug them all tightly and fiercely one last time. “Good luck.” Andrew is already walking off, Renee hurrying to catch up with him, and she lets herself watch their shadows go for a second before turning back to the others.</p>
<p>They head in the opposite direction from the other two, sticking to the cover of the trees before they have to go up to the castle. While both Andrew and Renee are going to climb into their targets' windows with that side of the castle conveniently facing away from the city with no one to spot them as they scale the wall, Jeremy and Thea both have targets whose bedrooms find themselves with a more public wall view. Dan does her best to match Matt’s perfect march as Nicky lets them in through the deserted kitchen. The rest of the castle is just as still, silence filling the cracks where talk should fill even in the middle of the night. Nicky really put the place to sleep, Dan tries not to think of any gas still left over somehow finding them and adding them to the snoozing bodies slumped on the floor. They walk with Jeremy and Thea until the third floor, relieved and a little amazed when the only guards they find are fast asleep.</p>
<p>Dan lets them both go with a quick, “Good luck - remember if you hear shouts it's us. Run, don't try to get it done. And stay on time.” She gets matching nods and watches them disappear in separate directions down the hall, both eerily quiet after months of practise. </p>
<p>She and Matt begin their first round of the night.</p>
<p>Round 1 passes in silence, jumping at noises and then both pretending not to have.</p>
<p>Round 2 is more relaxed. The calm around them gives them confidence in Nicky and they begin to talk quietly, stopping before corners and continuing when the next corridor proves empty. She finds herself glad of Matt’s company. There's something comforting about him, the gentleness of him despite his strong build, the sweetness and politeness he brings to every word.</p>
<p>Round 3 ends the same way so they both head to the back gate. Drugging the guards there was too risky when anyone walking down the street would see them but there were only two at the mostly unknown exit. Easily distracted. As they walk through the dark halls Dan looks for a clock, overly aware of time passing. To her relief they're mostly on time and they reach their hiding place near the exit only 5 minutes after optimal time. Settling into the shadows all they can do is wait. </p>
<p>“I'm worried about my mom.” Matt’s tense whisper breaks the silence that had been descending around them sending a rustle of worry into the night. Dan turns to him in surprise. Considering the risk he was currently taking, she had assumed he had no one to worry about. Wide, tired eyes meet hers and he shrugs. “She lives alone. I don't think they'll think i involved her at all but…” he hesitates, “i didn't tell her because i didn't want to put her in danger by knowing but i should have at least said goodbye or warned her somehow. What if they do - what if they target her because of me?”</p>
<p>“We’ll go get her.” Dan doesn't even think about it. They owe Matt for getting them here, from Nicky’s station in the kitchen to the map of the castle to her stolen uniform. As much as she wanted to distrust him at the start, as much as she wanted to dislike him even, she doesn't. He’s done too much for them to do nothing in return. </p>
<p>“What? But-”</p>
<p>“No. We’ll go get her. Not right now. They’ll be watching her, we might have to wait a bit but we’ll go get her. I promise we won't - you won't … it's fine you didn't say goodbye. You’ll see her again.” On impulse she scoots over to lean against him and reaches out to grip his hand. He squeezes back.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Dan nods into the dark. </p>
<p>“Thank you too.” </p>
<p>They hold hands tightly for the rest of their wait, a comfort and promise lying in the warmth of their palms.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>if you want the rest of the story the following works in the series follow the rest but they focus on different ships so if you dont like those ships... :/ sorry</p>
<p>please - tell me your thoughts :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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